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Nigerian Military Battle Boko Haram Near Bauchi State – AFP

Nigerian
troops battled scores of Boko Haram fighters outside the northeastern city of
Bauchi Sunday [Mar. 29], residents and a military source told AFP. Soldiers
supported by two fighter jets intercepted the militants who were in 20 pick-up
trucks at Dungulbe village, seven kilometers (four miles) from the city, and
engaged them in fierce fighting.

"The
fighter jets are pounding the enemy position while ground troops are engaging
them," said a military officer in the city, who asked not to be
identified, in an account supported by residents. "The operation is still
ongoing but the terrorists have suffered serious losses and are in
disarray," the officer added.

The
fighting was taking place as Nigeria was holding a second day of voting in its
general election after technology failures hampered polling Saturday. The
Islamists arrived in the village around 10:00 a.m. and set up camp in
preparation for an invasion of the city, said Dungulbe resident Mudassir
Hambali, who fled to Bauchi.

"They
came in 20 vehicles carrying heavy weapons. As soon as I realized what was
happening I fled through the bus with my family. "I saw a large convoy of
soldiers heading towards the village while I and my family were trekking to
Bauchi." Anas Uballe, from Inkil village, two kilometers from Dungulbe,
said: "I saw two military jets dropping bombs and the huge explosions
terrified our village which forced us to move into the city."

The
militants were believed to have come through the town of Alkaleri, 60
kilometers away, where there was a dawn raid on Saturday, according to the
military source and residents who fled. Gunmen in several vehicles attacked
public buildings and security checkpoints.

A
police station, the office of the paramilitary Nigeria Security and Civil
Defense force and the local electoral commission premises were all burned to
the ground. "They moved to Bishi, 35 kilometres away, where they shot dead
a man in his car on the highway," said Alkaleri resident Babale Shehu. "They
were no doubt the same gunmen that went to Dungulbe."

The
gunmen also Sunday attacked polling stations and destroyed ballot boxes in
Bauchi, state police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said. "Today... at about
12:25 a.m., unspecified numbers of unknown gunmen in a convoy of over 10
vehicles stormed many polling units in Kirfi... and destroyed many electoral
materials," he said. "[The] hoodlums further attacked Kirfi and
Alkaleri Divisional Police Headquarters but were repelled and pursued towards
Dindima town."

The
police statement did not mention Boko Haram or the operation in Dungulbe, which
comes after at least seven people were killed in suspected Boko Haram attacks
in neighbouring Gombe state Saturday. "The entire surroundings has been
cordoned off by combined security forces and effort is being intensified to
restore normalcy in the area," said Haruna.